Parallel Lives
by AmyNChan
Summary: Maka is living on the streets.  Soul is in the lap of luxury.  What happens when a certain *business* brings them together?  *WARNING!  HORRIBLE STORY!*  thank you.
1. Prolouge

_**14AmyChan: SO HAD THE INSPIRATION! *^_^***_

_**Soul: This better be cool**_

_**Maka: just be glad she's finally writing a story on us.**_

_**Black Star: THIS BETTER HAVE THE AWESOME ME IN IT! HAHAHAHAHA**_

_**Tsubaki: sorry about him *bows***_

_**Death the Kid: It should be symmetrical…**_

_**Patty: SYMMETRY~! *big smile***_

_**Liz: okay, here we go…**_

He sat on his chair, a usual bored expression on his face. It was his normal morning routine.

She ran through the streets, adrenaline pounding with her every step. One wrong move would end her. A typical morning.

He ordered his breakfast. His servant would fetch him something good to eat. He always did. And afterwards, they would joke about his life. It's a normal day.

She ducked into an alleyway, hidden from the guards. She looked at her prize, a morsel of bread, soaked with the remnants of someone's soup. A normal breakfast for a normal day.

After he ate, he got up and walked to his room, not quite ready for joking. Every day was like this. People would bow before him. Everyone hung onto his every word. It was cool, and yet it wasn't…

She wandered the streets, always being careful to avoid any guards that might catch her. What she really wanted to do was curl up with a nice book…

He yawned and plopped on his fancy bedspread. Adorned with a crimson red shade, his room seemed to reflect him perfectly. Yet it was so boring everyday…

She found her little niche in the alleyway and took a seat. In the shadows, everything looked black. Her life was always that way. Black or nothing. Surrounded by death. She put her knife beneath the rags she called a pillow. It was routine now.

It ran through both of their minds at the same time: Will things ever change?

_**14AmyChan: OKAY~! I want the vote of the people to say whether this is a good idea or not~! *^_^***_

_**Soul: it sounds like it could be cool…**_

_**Maka: a book I'd like to read…**_

_**Black Star: WHERE'S THE AWESOME ME?**_

_**Tsubaki: it sounds fascinating**_

_**Death the Kid: THE PERFECT SYMMETRY!**_

_**Patty: YAY!**_

_**Liz: Whatever, just review whatcha think, all right?**_


	2. Into Town

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything. *^_^***_

_**Black Star: That's right, cuz no one can **_**own**_** the AWESOME ME! HAHAHAHA**_

_**Tsubaki: ^^; please just read the story.**_

Soul lay down on his bed, wondering why his life was so _boring_. "Boring isn't cool" he finally decided. He got up and looked out of the window. He always wanted to do this, because it was just so cool. But usually, there were guards. Soul looked down and saw that his friend was on guard duty.

Soul climbed out of the window and jumped down out of the third story. He made his arm transform into the scythe he was and gradually break his fall while breaking the house. "Hey!" a voice called from the side. "You can't do that!" Soul sighed. He knew this was coming. It was the only uncool thing about this. "You can't be more awesome than me!" Black Star yelled and laughed confidently.

"Hey" Soul said, looking back at his house, taking in the damage his arm just caused. He wanted to do that forever. Serves that jerk right, keeping all this cool a secret. "All that yelling isn't cool" Soul commented in his usual bored voice. He hated this house. It was the Evans house. It was absolutely sickening. His room was the only one with a color other than those stupid happy colors. Red was as dark as they would let him. And they never let him out of that stupid suit.

"You wanna go into town and mess with people?" Black Star asked, a mischievous grin on his face was the tell tale sign.

Soul's grin matched Black Star's. It was the one thing that made his secret life bearable. When he and his best friend made trouble in town. And trouble in town meant trouble for the old jerk wad. It made Soul's life cool.

* * *

><p>Soul finished changing into his "going-to-town" outfit. A blue jacket hoodie and red pants, same shade as his room: blood red. On his head, he wore a white beanie with 'SOUL' sewn into it. Courtesy of his other guard: Tsubaki. She said that she approved of them going to town, but as far as the boys knew, she had no idea what they did when they were there.<p>

Black Star changed out of his light outfit of a guard suit. He switched it out for a pure-black outfit. The shirt had no sleeves, and the shorts gave easy movement. His spikey-blue hair showed for everyone to see.

Off into the woods the two mischief-makers and following them was their usual tail: Tsubaki.

* * *

><p>Maka looked around her little 'home'. Just a niche in the alleyway, nothing more. Her best way to defend herself was a little knife that she picked off of a guard a few years ago. It was her way of living, but she desperately wished it weren't. What she really wanted was a nice library filled to the brim with books that she could read for days and days on end.<p>

But that wasn't her life, so she's best keep from dwelling on it. Maka had finished her breakfast, so she dug around her little knapsack for something she had borrowed from a house. She found what she wanted: two hair ties. It certainly worked on the guards. If her hair was up and she got that one outfit, she looked like a normal kid.

Maka pulled a black curtain across her little alleyway and changed into her 'normal kid outfit'. It was a white long-sleeved shirt with a yellow sweater vest over it. A short red and black checkered skirt, and tennis shoes. Over all of that, was a black cape with sleeves in it. Her blood-stained hands were covered in white gloves. It made her seem like a hardworking student, which is what she wanted to be. Sometimes, if she were lucky, she could sneak into the school and read some of the books. She used to try and get food from the school, but it's under lock and key there.

Maka took a shard of glass and used it to check to see that her face wasn't dirty. It wasn't, surprisingly. Okay, off into town.

* * *

><p>Soul and Black Star blended into the crowd very well. They were in the middle of discussing who they would mess with today when Soul was distracted by something.<p>

"So, how about that guy who always sells the stupid masks?" Black Star asked, his excitement mounting with any idea.

"Hnnn" Soul said, looking around.

"Or that lady who sells cat ears?" Black Star asked, still unaware of his friend withdrawing from the conversation.

"Hnnn" Soul repeated, his head turning everywhere, looking for something.

"How about the guy who's not listening to his awesome friend's ideas?" Black Star asked, his eyes narrowing at Soul, who wasn't paying any attention at all by now.

"Do you smell that?" Soul asked. He was walking across the street now, leaving Black Star on the other side.

"What?" Black Star asked, chasing after Soul. He knew that weapons had a keen sense of smell, but this was ridiculous. There was nothing there! "C'mon, man. We still got people to mess with!"

"Oi!" Soul shouted from in the alleyway he had just wandered into. Black Star trudged on from behind.

"Is anyone as bored as I am?" Black Star yawned. He couldn't see what was so exciting about-

"I wonder who lives here?" Soul asked, looking at the little rags that made a semi-bed. There was also an iron pipe that held up a black curtain. "This is so cool!" Soul said as he examined the small living space. "Living like this must be so awesome!"

"It's not" a dangerous voice said just before both Soul and Black Star lost consciousness.

_**14AmyChan: Read and review~! *^_^***_

_**Black Star: HOW COULD YOU REDUCE THE AWESOME ME TO A SERVANT?**_

_**14AmyChan: I couldn't think of another way to make you the awesome friend.**_

_**Black Star: *pout***_

_**Soul: Why did you put my last name in here? It's Soul EATER! I changed it!**_

_**14AmyChan: You hate the name just as much in the story.**_

_**Maka: Why am I homeless?**_

_**14AmyChan: Not important. Just read and review~! *^_^***_

_**Black Star, Soul, and Maka: *staring death into 14AmyChan's soul***_


	3. Who Are You?

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything. *^_^***_

_**Soul: It's not cool for a guy to get knocked down by a girl.**_

_**14AmyChan: You weren't~! *^_^***_

_**Everyone else: huh?**_

_**14AmyChan: *^_^***_

Soul and Black Star woke up to pure black darkness. They were bound together by some kind of rope. And Soul could feel the cloth over his eyes and mouth. That didn't seem to bother his friend, though…

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" Black Star shouted into the impenetrable darkness. "YOU CAN'T KEEP THIS AWESOMENESS TIED UP BY DUMB LITTLE ROPES!"

"Oi" Soul whispered while he turned his finger into a smaller version of his arm-scythe and cut through the ropes. "It's not cool to shout like that."

"Indeed it's not!" a voice shouted from above. Soul reached up and pulled the bandana off of his eyes to look up.

They were in a large building. It had very little light, only enough to see the mysterious outline of three people above them. A guy and two girls. Soul decided that they looked like adults, and that red hair of the guy pissed him off for some reason. And the fact that he looked like a wimpy guy who just _loves_ the ladies. Soul spat into the ground. "What do you want, freak?" Soul got straight to the point.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A FREAK?" the red-haired man screeched. "IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, YOU'RE TRAPPED, YOU EVAN PUNK!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING AN EVAN?" Soul shouted right back. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT SLIME BALL'S NAME AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?"

The red-haired man just smirked and walked out the same way he came. The two ladies followed him. One of them turned back, and Soul could have sworn she _winked_ at him. Not cool.

"How thick do you think this is?" Black Star knocked on the wall to hear a hollow echo.

"About a foot" a new voice cut through the darkness. It was a girl's voice, cut crisp and clear. "I've already tried beating it down, but it's too thick." Soul expected the girl's voice to become sad, instead, it was filled with anger.

"It's not cool to hide in the darkness" Soul said. "Come out here." Soul heard nothing but a couple rocks hitting each other twice before a light came on.

* * *

><p>Maka looked at the two boys that jerk threw in with her. One of them had blue hair and a scowl. He was dressed all in black.<p>

The other was a white-haired boy with a matching scowl. Although the boys looked similar, the white-haired boy seemed…different, somehow.

"So, a foot?" the blue-haired one asked. Maka could immediately tell that this was the one with the self-inflated ego. "How'd you figure?"

"Let's say this isn't my first time in here" Maka said. "Now I have to make _another_ escape route" Maka walked over to where her newest escape route was. It wasn't the first time that jerk had put her in here with a few guys. _He_ was the reason she ran from home. She overheard the two boys talking in the background.

"Think you can cut through a foot?" Maka knew that this was the blue-haired one.

"Not without a meister" the white-haired one said. "And Tsubaki's your weapon, it's not like we can share a meister."

"Why not?" the ego was self inflating again. "There's enough awesomeness to go around."

"It just doesn't work that way, I need a real meister" Maka could tell the kid was getting irritated. "We've had this discussion before; it's why the old man doesn't want me to go to town."

"Hey" Maka interrupted. She knew what Meisters and Weapons were from the school library she went to, but this wasn't the time. "Hate to interrupt your chit-chat, but do you want out of here or not?"

"You could ask her" the blue-haired one said suddenly. All was quiet for a minute. Then-

"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER'S NAMES!" Maka and the white-haired boy shouted at the same time.

"And even if we did" Maka interrupted the blue-haired guy from talking. "That would mean that I'd have to be his Meister for the rest of his life. No." Maka walked back to her escape route. She was almost done. "Besides, we're as good as out."

"What makes you say that?" the blue-haired one asked.

"This…" Maka said as she demonstrated. She found her spot and kicked out the rest of the dirt. Sunshine started flooding through. She kicked the rest of the dirt loose and shoveled it away with her hands. Soon, there was enough space for her to squeeze out. She turned to the boys. "If you don't mind getting dirty, this is the way out." Then she saw the blue-haired guy look at the hole. Maka looked down.

* * *

><p>Black Star was looking at the hole the know-it-all just made. Another familiar set was making the hole bigger. Know-it-all was backing away slowly, tensing herself for a fight.<p>

"Black Star?" Tsubaki asked from beyond the wall. "Soul? You two in there?"

"Yeah, but we were just leaving" Black Star said. His tone was that of an awesome leader. Or at least, that's what he thought.

"Why do you two always get into so much trouble?" Black Star heard Tsubaki sigh. He just grinned, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

"Because that's what awesome people do" Black Star answered as if it were obvious.

"And don't forget cool people" Black Star heard a smile on Soul's voice. "This is the coolest fun I've had in a while."

Just then, Tsubaki poked her head under the hole and looked at the two boys. She smiled. "Well, we need to get you two out of here" Tsubaki turned and saw Maka for the first time. She instantly corrected herself. "Well, three"

In about ten seconds, everyone was out of the makeshift prison and on their way into town.

* * *

><p>"So," Tsubaki started. "What's your name?"<p>

"Maka" the girl answered. Like before, her voice was crisp. Almost like a teacher's pet. "What about you?"

"I'm Tsubaki, a Weapon" Tsubaki introduced herself cheerfully. "And this is Black Star, my Meister."

"And I'm Soul" Soul said, deciding to leave his stupid last name behind. He examined the girl a little more closely. Brown hair in pigtails, green eyes, sweater vest, skirt, black cape, and white gloves. When Soul saw the gloves, the scent of blood, just like before, hit him. He decided that it was cool to have super senses. "Why are you bleeding?"

'Maka' instantly turned her head sharply to get a square look at Soul. He could tell he was being searched, but at the moment, he didn't quite care. He wanted to hear her story. "Why do you care?" she asked as an answer.

"Because that's the reason we were there in the first place" Soul answered her question, expecting her to answer his. He barely noticed Tsubaki on the sidelines trying to avoid a confrontation. The staring match between Maka and Soul was too potent.

"That's none of your business" Maka turned away from the little group and walked off. On a whim, Soul decided to follow her around. None of that sneaky stuff, that wasn't cool. Just walked a few paces behind her was all. He wanted to bug her. After all, bugging people was what he came here to do.

_**14AmyChan: Okay, third chapter done! *^_^***_

_**Soul: So, who was the guy and his two little sidekicks?**_

_**Maka: Don't tell me…**_

_**14AmyChan: Just a guy, my least-favorite character, and one of my favorite villains~! *^_^***_

_**Spirit: MAAAAAAKAAAAA! PAPA LOVES Y- *is sent into space by Maka's book chop of fury***_

_**Black Star: Yo! Leave reviews for the awesome me! I accept any and all fan mail! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *^_^***_


	4. You're Annoying

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything~! *^_^* Oh! And I want to clear something up.**_

_**Soul: What is it?**_

_**Maka: One of the reviews pointed something out, so now we're clearing it.**_

_**14AmyChan: Maka isn't an assassin. In the beginning of the story, she was getting her breakfast. The knife is simply self-defense.**_

_**Black Star: Enough chit-chat. ON TO THE AWESOME ME! *^_^***_

_**14AmyChan: *^_^***_

"Go away" Maka knew that that boy, 'Soul' was following her.

"No" he replied. It would have been uncool to ignore her. It was cooler like this.

"It's going to rain" Maka said. "Go home"

"I like the rain" Soul said. It was irking Maka that he wasn't showing any signs of letting up.

"Go away" she repeated.

"Nope" Maka could practically feel the smile through his simple refusal. "Why are you following me?" she asked.

"Because it's fun" Soul said.

"It's not cool" Maka said. She heard Soul's footsteps stop for a second. Then start again. Maka thought that saying that it wasn't cool to follow her would make him stop. He did _hesitate_, but that wasn't the same as stopping.

"You still didn't answer my question" Soul said. Maka's nerve almost snapped. Yet, she still kept her cool.

"I didn't know I had to answer to a stranger" Maka said, seriously annoyed that this guy wasn't letting up.

"Okay, stranger" Soul sped up his walking and cut her off. She tried to dodge around him, but he wouldn't let her. "How come that other 'stranger' kidnapped us?"

"Because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time" Maka answered him to get him to stop blocking her path. He stopped moving and Maka ducked back around him, giving her the lead again. She was just walking around now. She didn't want him to figure out-

"You mean that was your place?" Soul asked, inwardly thrilled when he got a reaction. Maka hesitated for no more than a split-second, then walked again. He could tell that she was seething with inner fury. "That little niche in the alleyway?" Soul poked fun at her. He _did_ tag along to annoy her, after all. And, boy was she annoyed. Her shoulders, which had been relaxed until now, were hunched angrily, and her bloodied gloves were clenched in raging fists. Soul's rational mind told him to quit while he was ahead, but that wasn't the cool thing to do, so it didn't happen. "What a puny place to live!" Soul scoffed. That's when Maka whirled around.

"You do better on your own for once, E-" Maka started to say, but was cut off by Soul. His beady red eyes were slanted angrily, and Maka could tell by the hand on her jaw that he wasn't too pleased with what she was about to say. Maka shoved his hand away, as angrily as he had put it there. "Are you that surprised?" she asked, staring him down again. "I can't live on the streets without knowing anything."

Soul narrowed his eyes, hands firmly placed in his pockets. _How did she know my last name…? The old geezer never _let_ me get out of the house. So how…?_ Soul wanted to ponder that a bit more, but Maka whirled around and started walking away again. So, naturally, Soul followed her. "You still didn't answer my question" Soul reminded Maka.

Maka was majorly pissed off. This guy didn't know how to drop a subject. "I just told you" Maka said, her strides subconsciously becoming longer and angrier. "Go mess with someone else."

"I can't do that" Soul said, thinking to the 'live on the streets' bit. It was obvious to him now, she got in a tussle with the guards this morning and got hurt. She had to have some kind of warrior's pride if she didn't want to admit she got hurt fighting. "It's more fun to mess with you, and plus…" Soul caught a few running figures around him and Maka just as she noticed it.

"Company" they said at the same time. Maka got ready to fight with her fists, while Soul got ready to use the arm he was born with. They were instantly surrounded by at least ten or twenty shrouded figures.

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything~! *^_^***_

_**Soul: finally, some cool action!**_

_**Black Star: What happened to the awesome me?**_

_**14AmyChan: You and Tsubaki decided to go bug other people. *^_^***_

_**Tsubaki: I hope all of the readers review…**_

_**Maka: You have to say it like this: "R&R, PEOPLE! *^_^*" like that.**_

_**Tsubaki: ah… well… please read and review, kind people. How was that?**_

_**14AmyChan: close enough. *^_^***_


	5. Kidnapped

_**14AmyChan: I OWN NOTHING! *^_^***_

_**Black Star: this better have the awesome me in it…**_

_**Soul: you wanna take my place?**_

_**Black Star: no, I should have my OWN place!**_

_**14AmyChan: you do. *^_^***_

_**Black Star: YA-HOO! XD**_

_**14AmyChan: It just comes later~! *^_^***_

_**Black Star: I was always ahead of my time… XD**_

_**Tsubaki: please read on… ^^**_

Maka got ready to fight with her fists, while Soul got ready to use the arm he was born with. They were instantly surrounded by at least ten or twenty shrouded figures.

The figures attacked instantly, giving no room for thought. Maka did her best to guard, leaving very little room to attack. Soul, on the other hand, swung his arm around, forcing the shadowy figures back into their darkness. For a little bit, they held them off pretty well. The shadowy figures seemed to be retreating.

Then, one of them, completely hidden by the darkness, jumped into the air. He landed in between the two young fighters and gave them each a jab in the neck and any joints he could reach. Both fell. Conscious, but unable to feel or respond physically to anything that happened to them. Soul's arm turned back into an arm at the hit at the neck. One of the shadowy figures loomed above them for a second, then turned away, as if disgusted. "Why father would want an unsymmetrical pair like this, I don't know" it said. "Just get them in the car."

Maka and Soul watched as two girls, one short and the other tall, picked them up and walked them to a black limo. While trying to put them in, the two girls were trying to sit Maka and Soul up. Failing in that aspect, they just had them lean on each other. After they were all in the car, it took off like a shot, disorienting Maka and Soul for a little bit.

"You know" the older of the two girls started out. "The effect of that should wear off in about a minute, so just so you know" she pointed all around the interior of the car. "This car isn't for show. It was built to hold weapons and their meisters for a reason."

"Yeah, yeah!" the obviously younger of the two chimed in. "Our boss wants to talk to you two~!" She was playing with yellow paper while talking. It looked like she was folding it to Maka.

"But according to the data we have on you…" the same voice from earlier started. "You two aren't even a team." Maka and Soul were able to see a boy-their age-sitting by the window of the speeding car. "You've just met, and now you're stuck in a car with some popular gang members."

It was then that it hit Maka. These people were known all over the city. The_ Bringers of Death_ they called themselves. And for some odd reason, they were also called _Shibusen_. They were an underground crime syndicate. Intent on overthrowing the Evans and controlling the city. _Not like it's a bad goal…_ Maka thought as she tried getting off of Soul again. It didn't work. The Evans were a family of hypocrites, only giving a damn about how to make more money. Never once considering the people they were sucking the money _from…_

Yet it was their methods that made Maka stay away from _Shibusen_ all her life. They had many ways of dealing with those that had too much power. But their number one tactic is-

"I don't understand" the kid droned on in his bored voice. "Why would my father want to recruit a couple of _novices_ to erase the Evans?" He looked at Maka and Soul, whose interest was peaked. _Erase?_ Soul wondered, trying to force his limp body to move in the slightest. _Popular gang members…What the hell is this guy talking about? _Soul wondered, his mind whirring to its full potential.

"Shinigami probably has a good reason, Kidd" the elder girl said. She was studying her nails as if they were the most important thing in the world, and yet hardly worth the attention she was giving them.

"Yeah, yeah~!" the younger chimed in, having finished made a paper giraffe.

"Liz, Patty" 'Kidd' said. "We're almost there." Maka felt someone kick her leg. Realizing what that meant-she finally was able to move-she got off of Soul. Soul, noting her sudden ability to move, was able to prevent himself from falling, which was uncool.

Soul and Maka were soon shoved up and out of the car and were now facing a giant building.

"Welcome to the headquarters of Shibusen" 'Kidd' said in a bored tone. "Now that you've seen this place, it's doubtful you'll leave alive if you refuse to be reasonable."

_Just great…_ Maka and Soul thought at the same time. They were then shoved into a fate that neither were too enthusiastic about.

_**14AmyChan: Sorry about the late update~! ^^;**_

_**Black Star: I'M NOT EVEN IN THIS ONE!**_

_**Maka: Soul and I can't even move half the time…**_

_**Soul: So uncool…**_

_**14AmyChan: Tsubaki! They're being mean… TT^TT**_

_**Tsubaki: Well, I'm pretty sure that kind people will review…**_

_**14AmyChan: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! *^_^***_


	6. The Gang

_**14AmyChan: I OWN NOTHING! *^_^***_

_**Black Star: I AM AWESOME!**_

_**Soul: I am cool**_

_**Maka: I am getting annoyed.**_

_**Tsubaki: uh… please read this chapter…**_

Maka and Soul were roughly shoved into the mansion-like building. Even though they could both move of their own free will, neither could do anything because of the people who had knives to their backs. Maka counted twenty of them, at least. All of the people had on dark masks, so Maka couldn't tell if she recognized any one of them. Though some of them seemed to ring a few distant bells with her…

Soul was less than thrilled about all of this. Here he was, a cool guy like him, being forced into a building with a girl he had just met, and still no one would tell him what was going on. He decided that once he had the chance, he would ditch this freak show.

'Kidd' led the dark procession. He looked bored, and the endless twists and turns they were making didn't seem to faze him at all. Even though it seemed like they were underground by now, he just kept chatting with 'Liz' and 'Patty'. Neither Maka nor Soul could tell what they were talking about. Until he spoke up for all of them to hear. "We're here, you can all take off the masks now" Kidd was talking to the masked people, who all began to take off their masks. "But you two can't see" 'Kidd' amended as he shoved Maka and Soul's heads to the front. The one thing Soul caught before his head was jerked away was a shock of blue hair. _It couldn't be…_ Soul wondered.

"You two are about to have you're first _lesson_ with the principal." Kidd said as he dragged the duo through a door.

"Hey, hey, hey" a comical voice greeted them as they walked into the room. "Whazzup? Having a good day? Good. Go ahead and sit down." Maka and Soul thought that some sort of joke had been played on them.

In front of them, a black figure with a cartoonish skull face stood. If you could call that standing. More like it was balancing on a single strand of shadow. Also greeting them were Tsubaki and Black Star. 'Kidd', 'Liz', and 'Patty' were also there, but there was only one who had Soul's attention.

"What the hell, Black Star?" Soul turned his arm into a scythe and placed it under Black Star's chin. "Tell me what's going on!"

"It's simple" Black Star carefully moved Soul's arm away as he grinned. "I don't want you to die." Soul only looked questioningly at his friend. So he proceeded to explain. "If all of the Evans are killed, then you're out of luck. But if you're already a member of Shibusen, then you're safe. It's no fun to mess with the town alone." Black star grinned while Soul only stared, dumbfounded.

"Well, why am I here, then?" Maka asked, also feeling out of the loop. She had only met all of these people here today, and it seemed like they had _plans_ for her.

"Well, well, well" the comical shadow said, bouncing up and down on his little strand. "Maka Albarn, I do believe you've wanted to come to our little school for so long."

"School?" Maka was confused. She wanted to go to school and learn, of course. But this was a _gang_. A gang of _murderers_. Not a _school_.

"Yes, school" the shadow said. "I am Shinigami, the principal here. I am also the leader of our little _club_."

"It has been come to be known as a _gang_, father" the voice of Kidd came. "Not a club."

"My bad, my bad…" Shinigami apologized. He then turned his attention back to Maka. "We have a certain amount of control on all of the officers in town. If you become a member, you can have dorm and food."

Maka thought about it for a minute. Then she realized that all they were saying was what they _offered_, but not what she had to _do_ to get all of the great prizes they offered. "So what's in it for you guys?" Maka asked, staring into the little holes in the mask that she assumed were Shinigami's eyes.

"Simple" Shinigami said without hesitation. "We get a new team of weapon and meister. You'll be helping with assignments, and we'll teach you what happens when you do these assignments."

"And by assignments, you mean…" Soul trailed off. He had always fantasized about finishing off the old man, but he had never actually hurt a single soul before.

"Almost" Shinigami said, seeming to be empathetic. "What you will be doing is collecting souls of people who are corrupted without any hope of becoming good again."

"Wait a minute" Maka said. "So those people that jumped us…"

"Were students" Shinigami finished. "We teach students how to fight and how to differentiate the good souls from the bad ones. So what do you say?"

"No way" Maka and Soul said simultaneously.

_**14AmyChan: I'm losing steam…**_

_**Black Star: One look at me, and you'll be so full of steam, you can't stop.**_

_**14AmyChan: *looks at Black Star* nope… still losing steam…**_

_**Black Star: O_O||||**_

_**Soul: Now he's in a depression corner. What have you got to say for yourself?**_

_**14AmyChan: I still am losing steam….**_

_**Soul: You're getting worthless…**_

_**14AmyChan: -.-|||**_

_**Maka: Please review.**_


	7. Out of the Madhouse

_**14AmyChan: I don't have as much inspiraition as when I first started this, nevertheless, I will continue working as efficiently and amazingly as possible. *^_^***_

_**Soul: That's not saying much**_

_**14AmyChan: Must you be a bully?**_

_**Soul: Only if it's cool…**_

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything, read on…. -.-;**_

"No way" Maka and Soul said simultaneously.

"Well, then I guess that you'll just die now, won't you?" Black Star pointed Tsubaki, now in weapon form, at Soul.

Soul only gave Tsubaki a glance. "You're not serious…" Soul droned.

"Wanna bet?" Black Star challenged before disappearing into smoke. It took Maka and Soul a few seconds to realize that Black Star was being deadly serious. It only took a few cuts.

Maka's gloves instantly got sliced open, and Soul's headband fell to the ground. Black Star simply stood above the two, who seemed to be refusing to fight. That is, until Maka spat at the ground. "You wanna fight me? Fine" Maka looked Black Star square in the face while she smashed a nearby mirror and pulled a glass fragment from it. "But I won't need your friend over there."

"We'll see about that…" Black Star always welcomed a challenge, even though it looked like he wasn't going to get much of a workout.

All Soul could do was watch from the sidelines. He knew that if he helped out his friend, then the blood of an innocent person would be on his hands. He knew if he didn't help, blood would still drip from his hands. He knew that if he took the girl's side, that he'd be stuck with her forever. He had to make a choice. One only knew how long a glass knife would stand against an assassin…

Maka knew she had to think fast. If that white-haired kid joined the fight to help his friend, then she would have zero chance. If the kid stayed put, she had a better chance. If he suddenly decided to help her out, then they'd be stuck together forever. Even if they decided to take up the crazy offer, it would be countless lives in exchange for a more comfortable one for her. She grew up on the streets, but that didn't mean that she didn't know the worth of a life. She had to fend this guy off and disappear…

"Why did you make him do it, father?" Kidd asked his elder. The latter simply stared at his son, confused, so Kidd elaborated. "Why did you tell him if his friend didn't accept, then he'd have to kill him?"

The elder only chuckled. "If there's anything you learn out of this, it is loyalty" Shinigami said. "Black Star has a strong tie with that Evans kid, and they are good friends. Black Star has been under the care of the school since he was born. However, that girl has always wanted to be in this school" Shinigami nodded to Maka, who was still fighting. "Knowing that to be here, she would have to kill, she has refused her dream. That is loyalty in itself to her beliefs. Now, when we want those two to pair up as a weapon and meister, we need to have those bonds of loyalty tested."

"I see" Soul murmured. He had heard it all. This was just a sick, twisted game. If Black Star was just bait, then it would be hard to let this stop him. That girl was also being "tested". If there was any way out of this, it would be to team up and get out of here. Soul walked out in between Black Star and Maka, who stopped the instant they saw him.

_What__'__s__he__doing?_ Maka thought, trying to catch her breath. Black Star was a tough opponent. He always jabbed at her, and never gave any opening for her to attack. Black Star just watched as his friend got out in between them. The kid, Soul, looked straight at her.

"We need out, and the only way to do that is to team up, right?" Soul asked Maka. Maka instantly deflated. Did she really look that weak?

"What do you want me to do? Hold hands and sing Kumbahia?" Maka asked. Feeling really peeved.

"It's not my favorite idea, either, but there has to be some way to get out of here, and teaming up's our best shot" Soul shouted at Maka. Really the girl was so frustrating. "Or maybe you're just chicken…" Soul muttered, finishing his thoughts.

"Say that again, I dare you" Maka threatened, turning on Soul. It was then that she noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and tired. She caved. "Fine, but don't get mad at me when we get out of here and you can't have another meister" Maka held out her hand.

Soul grinned as he walked over. He looked Maka once in the eye before slapping her hand. Before he transformed into his full scythe form, he could tell her eyes were bloodshot and tired. _But__then__…_ Soul grinned as he and his new partner knocked everyone unconscious and exited the school. _We__are__surrounded__by__killers__…_

_**14AmyChan: That was awful…**_

_**Black Star: at least you pulled a good twist out. AND IT REVOLVED AROUND THE AWESOME ME!**_

_**Tsubaki: Thank you for reading this chapter**_

_**Maka: read it and review it**_

_**Soul: Becuz it's the cool thing to do…**_

_**14AmyChan: *^_^***_


	8. The End

_**14AmyChan: I don't own anything~! *^_^***_

_**Soul: so, you're going to end the story?**_

_**14AmyChan: yeah… sorry that it's not going to end all epically. ^^;**_

_**Black Star: you should be sorry! The awesome me didn't get a big role in this at all!**_

_**14AmyChan: I'm really sorry… *bows head***_

_**Maka: it's a good thing she doesn't own us, then…**_

_**Tsubaki: please read on… ^^;**_

Maka and Soul looked out on the town they had both called home for so long. Both had painful memories there. Both had lived bland and repetitive lives there.

"I'm stuck with you forever now, aren't I?" Maka asked. She didn't sound remorseful, just bland.

"Can't think of a cooler person to be tied to, though" Soul replied, taking the same monotonic voice.

"Our town has a lot of problems…" Maka pointed out. "It's a pain to live there."

"It always has been a pain to live in that stuffy old house" Soul said. He wondered if Maka could read his mind.

"I'm leaving this town" Maka said, turning her back on the place she had called 'home' for so long. "I've had enough of people trying to get me for what I'm never going to be, and I'm sick of trying to live a lifestyle that's not me."

"I'm with you" Soul agreed, walking up behind Maka. He held his hand out. When she looked at him with a curious look, he only grinned coolly and reminded her "I'm stuck with you forever now, aren't I?"

"I guess so" Maka smiled and took Soul's hand. They both left their bland lives behind, ready for the challenge of a new life. One without gangs and monopolies and friends who want to kill you. A new life. A new chance. A new adventure.

_**14AmyChan: okay, it sucks, but I'm done. ^^;**_

_**Black Star: I am a bad guy…?**_

_**Soul: at least I kept my cool…**_

_**Maka: I made a final decision, I guess…**_

_**Tsubaki: um…**_

_**14AmyChan: I know it sucks, but if you want to review, go ahead. *^_^***_


End file.
